Short Summary

United States troops are engaged in the construction of a major base camp in the Mekong Delta.

Description

United States troops are engaged in the construction of a major base camp in the Mekong Delta. The camp is to serve as a supply depot and headquarters for American operations in the Mekong Delta region.

The base is being built at Dong Tan, which is on a branch of the Mekong River about five miles southwest of My Tho (pronounced "my toe"). It will be a large port and airfield installation. Military authorities say the base will be supplied mostly by water from Saigon. The trip is a relatively simple one.

Two brigades of the Ninth Infantry Division are in Viet Nam now. The third brigade--about 4000 men--is expected by the end of March. Although there has been no official announcement, it is widely expected that the Ninth will be assigned to the Delta, and the new base set up as its headquarters.

(Governmental spokesmen of several nations have said the Americans have no intention of ever getting out of Viet Nam, citing as evidence the formidable system of permanent bases and harbors erected there by the United States. The United States has said it will turn all the facilities over to South Viet Nam when the war is over.)